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The Memphis Grizzlies kicked off the trade deadline madness by sending Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks, according to ESPN.
The Jazz are trading their most favorable 2027 first-round pick between Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah, a Lakers 2027 first-round pick and Phoenix’s 2031 first-round pick to Memphis, according to Jake Fischer.
It’s a shocking move considering most of the noise surrounding the Grizzlies was centered on All-Star guard Ja Morant getting moved. However, Jackson Jr. was viewed as being easier to move, and as a result the Grizzlies stockpiled future first-round picks.
Going forward, Memphis holds 13 first-round picks over the next seven seasons. That treasure trove of assets now ties them with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets for the most first-round picks in the league.
Assuming Morant is the next player out the door in Memphis, this now turns the Grizzlies’ focus to their stable of young players in rookie Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey. Coward is having a standout rookie season, and if it weren’t for the tandem of Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel leading the Rookie of the Year discussion, Coward would certainly be more in the mix in any other year.
Memphis already has several quality young players, and with a 19-29 record, their first-round pick in the 2026 draft will certainly land somewhere in the top-10, perhaps the top-5 now by prioritizing their future. If they manage to land one of the most coveted players at the top of the draft board, the Grizzlies’ rebuild could be a short one.
It’s a smart plan given the Grizzlies have not lived up to the expectations many people had for them after finishing the 2021-22 season with a 56-26 record, and claiming the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. In actuality, that ended up being the peak of the Jackson Jr. – Morant era, as injuries and off-court issues derailed this team since.
For Utah, who may not be done dealing before Thursday’s deadline, according to The Athletic, this move signals that they’re ready to compete next season after several years of rebuilding. Adding Jackson Jr. to a frontcourt that already features Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler means that the Jazz are going to have perhaps the best rim protection in the league going forward. And if they get lucky this summer in the draft lottery, they could add a generational star to fast track this rebuild even more.
However, it’s fair to wonder how far this core can actually go in a stacked Western Conference that just keeps getting more difficult to compete in. Is Jackson Jr. really the guy they wanted to trade in some of their draft capital for? Will he and Markkanen work well in the frontcourt together? By trading Clayton, the Jazz are betting big on Ace Bailey, who so far hasn’t gotten the opportunity most top-5 picks get.
It’s a bit of a confusing trade on the surface for the Jazz, but if more moves are on the horizon for them, then more clarity will come with it. But for now what’s for certain is that Utah is not planning on tanking much longer.